OK, so you find yourself running about 400 miles in 6 months while
sporting the same pair of sneakers you were given last Christmas by your
overbearing relatives. They feel good, no complaints yet; however, that
last pair you got gave you athlete's foot which prompted you to think
whether they were deficient from purchase date, or you just unknowingly
wore the things out long past the expiration date the feet set for them?
How do you find out? Well, the obvious road to take is finding an expert; you know, those guys at the sports store always flashing the latest ASICS to signify their quality of expertise to daily clientele.
If you quiz them for a good 5 minutes, they will tell you that mileage clocked by the shoes doesn't serve as a reliable indicator to when you should chuck them in the bin. Shoes such as 'DS Racers' or 'Adidas Shimantos', have been told by their wearers to last between 300 and up to 1,200 miles before they are discarded for a replacement.
Some podiatry specialists recommend you trade in for something fresh at around the 300 mile mark, as well as look at switching between pairs when performing all of your running tasks. Weight, shoe, intensity of exercise, and how your foot naturally hits the terrain are all the variables which vastly differentiate between men and women of all foot sizes.
Regarding terrain, cement surfaces are incredibly different to that of a flat or inclined treadmill at home. Either surfacing is expected to give you different signs of wear; thus, you should take care to monitor the progress of each pair's wear while weighing up how your feet feel every time they are in use and judge for yourself.
To be safe, reasonable advisers suggest you buy a new pair prematurely as opposed to 120 miles past the shoe's expiration date.
Therefore, to over simplify: 'If in doubt, buy!'
Rotation is an ideal fix partly due to the longevity gains attained by having a 'division of wear' employed on each set. Additionally, runners may experiment and bend their shoes back from its 'ball', located adjacent to the shoe's bending that happens after you jog. New shoes aren't expected to bend as easily as stretched-out older ones; however, as the wearer begins to travel more in them, they will submit to bending much easier. Let it also be noted that if a shoe bends back as much as it does forward implying the same level of force, you have an appointment to make for a new pair!
After you 'bend test', take your palm then insert it inside one shoe with another hand on the tread. Following that, press your fingertips together at the 'ball point' of the shoe (the shoe's flexing point). This technique lets you determine if the shoe's cushioning has been compressed which basically equates to: 'time to buy some new running shoes'.
The same procedure can be applied on the heel as well.
A runner might weigh in at around 150 pounds and never have a shoe that lasts after 400 miles. Serious racers weighing 20 pounds lighter (130 pounds) might have a higher threshold for their favorite shoes. The point, again, is that factors drastically vary between people. A stride from one runner is made in such a way that results in a lower threshold when compared to another; and, speed coupled with frequency-of-use may result in a runner able to last their pair for an extended 60 miles.
Next time you visit your local Rebel Sport store, grab a display shoe you fancy at try it on.
Done? Good!
Now, compare the feel to that of your current pair and you should instantly understand the difference in shoe 'tiredness' between the old and new pair; ultimately, leading you closer to making an informed decision to either buy those new ones to supplement the present pair, or throttle more the current lifespan of those you already own.
How do you find out? Well, the obvious road to take is finding an expert; you know, those guys at the sports store always flashing the latest ASICS to signify their quality of expertise to daily clientele.
If you quiz them for a good 5 minutes, they will tell you that mileage clocked by the shoes doesn't serve as a reliable indicator to when you should chuck them in the bin. Shoes such as 'DS Racers' or 'Adidas Shimantos', have been told by their wearers to last between 300 and up to 1,200 miles before they are discarded for a replacement.
Some podiatry specialists recommend you trade in for something fresh at around the 300 mile mark, as well as look at switching between pairs when performing all of your running tasks. Weight, shoe, intensity of exercise, and how your foot naturally hits the terrain are all the variables which vastly differentiate between men and women of all foot sizes.
Regarding terrain, cement surfaces are incredibly different to that of a flat or inclined treadmill at home. Either surfacing is expected to give you different signs of wear; thus, you should take care to monitor the progress of each pair's wear while weighing up how your feet feel every time they are in use and judge for yourself.
To be safe, reasonable advisers suggest you buy a new pair prematurely as opposed to 120 miles past the shoe's expiration date.
Therefore, to over simplify: 'If in doubt, buy!'
Rotation is an ideal fix partly due to the longevity gains attained by having a 'division of wear' employed on each set. Additionally, runners may experiment and bend their shoes back from its 'ball', located adjacent to the shoe's bending that happens after you jog. New shoes aren't expected to bend as easily as stretched-out older ones; however, as the wearer begins to travel more in them, they will submit to bending much easier. Let it also be noted that if a shoe bends back as much as it does forward implying the same level of force, you have an appointment to make for a new pair!
After you 'bend test', take your palm then insert it inside one shoe with another hand on the tread. Following that, press your fingertips together at the 'ball point' of the shoe (the shoe's flexing point). This technique lets you determine if the shoe's cushioning has been compressed which basically equates to: 'time to buy some new running shoes'.
The same procedure can be applied on the heel as well.
A runner might weigh in at around 150 pounds and never have a shoe that lasts after 400 miles. Serious racers weighing 20 pounds lighter (130 pounds) might have a higher threshold for their favorite shoes. The point, again, is that factors drastically vary between people. A stride from one runner is made in such a way that results in a lower threshold when compared to another; and, speed coupled with frequency-of-use may result in a runner able to last their pair for an extended 60 miles.
Next time you visit your local Rebel Sport store, grab a display shoe you fancy at try it on.
Done? Good!
Now, compare the feel to that of your current pair and you should instantly understand the difference in shoe 'tiredness' between the old and new pair; ultimately, leading you closer to making an informed decision to either buy those new ones to supplement the present pair, or throttle more the current lifespan of those you already own.
